As of now, Rahul Gandhi is insisting on pressing his resignation. How real is the intention this time is known only to him and not even the close aides, making his part of the acting perfect. Senior Congress leaders are also performing well, but since the climax is standardised, one can’t say how long the excitement will last.

The CWC has an option that has hitherto been unexplored. Rather than passing a resolution rejecting Rahul’s resignation, they could have retrieved and dusted out the party constitution and added a new clause that the grand old party has to be necessarily headed by a member of the dynasty at all times. This will leave Rahul with no option but to continue and will also lend legitimacy to his presidentship. Once and for all, it will take care of the criticism that the Congress party always looks for a ‘naamdar’, as Modi has been saying, to lead the party.

This will also justify the stand of senior party leaders that Congress has no future without Rahul Gandhi being there to guide and mentor them. They have no problem working under Priyanka Gandhi, but the trouble is that Rahul does not want that. He wants someone from outside the dynasty to succeed him in the event of his resignation being accepted, if ever it happens.

Sonia Gandhi wanting Rahul to continue is quite natural; after all, she is a mother, in addition to being UPA chairperson. But to understand why stalwarts like A K Antony, who could even stand up to Indira Gandhi in her prime, the self-preserving Ghulam Nabi Azad, the affable P Chidambaram and Anand Sharma, with no particular trait, want a Gandhi to head the party, one has to take a break from politics and turn to animal kingdom for clues.

Without mastering rocket science, one would be able to conclude that the closest that matches the cardinal spirit of Congressmen is the crab mentality. Dictionary describes it as ‘a way of thinking’ best described by the phrase ‘if I can’t have it, neither can you’. The metaphor refers to a drum of crabs in which one crab tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others.

One does not need to read Terry Pratchette’s novel Unseen Academicals to see crab mentality in action. Closely watching the behaviour of Congressmen will do.

Most Congressmen have a problem accepting one among them as the leader. If the leader is from the Gandhi family, irrespective of competence or experience, there is no question of egos getting hurt. But one Congress leader serving under another Congress leader is unimaginable. And this is the case with most state units of the party.

As there are not enough members in the dynasty, it is not possible to have one each for every state, even though the number of states with the requirement has come down drastically after the Modi tsunami swept them all off. But there are still a few out there. Interestingly other dynasties are not allowed.

In fact, Rahul’s disenchantment with his pivotal role has been triggered by the attitude of chief ministers Kamal Nath and Ashok Gehlot as well as former minister P Chidambaram, which placed their sons above the interest of the party in the elections. Chidambaram’s son Kartik Chidambaram, facing heat by law enforcing agencies for various deals, and Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath managed to win in their constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Bhopal respectively, but Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot was not lucky in Jodhpur, despite the dutiful father spending considerable time campaigning for him.

Rahul’s criticism has given the green signal for the crab mentality to assert. At least five ministers of the Kamal Nath ministry have reportedly revolted, calling for Jyotiraditya Scindia to be made MP Congress chief. With the BJP out with its cloak and dagger to see Kamal Nath’s back, which might happen any time soon, the next best available option for Scindia is obviously the PCC chief’s post.

Rajasthan Congress has already turned into a battleground, with Gehlot apparently fighting a losing battle with Sachin Pilot, whose chances of being elevated as chief minister have brightened in view of Rahul’s open criticism of the veteran leader’s conduct. Both have held several rounds of talks with Rahul and Priyanka in Delhi.

The biggest irony of the situation is that in Kerala, where each leader is unto himself, the party has virtually swept the poll, ‘not on their merit, but by his grace’, the ‘he’ being chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, whose despotic style turned an entire electorate against him. The benefit of their vehemence had to go to somewhere, which happened to be Congress by default.

One of the prominent factions there is known by the name of Antony, but, true to his nature, only in name, while the group is actually controlled by his former arch rival Oommen Chandy, who has now been given an AICC assignment. There are other groups and sub-groups deeply entrenched, but with no sweepstakes currently available, they are all lying low, waiting for the right opportunity.

All of them are happy to be under a dynastic leader, but the moment one of them gets an upper hand, the crab mentality will set in. That’s why they are moving heaven and earth not to let Rahul go.(IPA Service)